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Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Note that this observational study of a Swedish cohort suggested that high intake of dairy fats, but not animal fats, was protective against development of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Be aware that the observational nature of this study precludes an assessment of causality; interventional studies are needed to further characterize which specific fats might be metabolically beneficial.

VIENNA -- Eating a lot of fatty dairy products, such as cream and fermented milk, seemed to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes development, Swedish researchers said here.

In a population-based study, patients who had eight or more servings of high-fat dairy products per day had a 23% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who ate one or fewer servings per day, reported Ulrika Ericson, PhD, of Lund University Diabetes Center in Malmo in Sweden, and colleagues at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting.

But the effect isn't the same for all animal fats, the researchers warned. Higher intake of meat and meat products was tied to a greater risk of developing the disease.

"Our findings suggest that in contrast to animal fats in general, fats specific to dairy products may have a role in prevention of type 2 diabetes," Ericson said in a statement.

It's not well understood how dietary fats affect glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, but the researchers noted that several epidemiological studies have shown that a high intake of dairy products may protect against type 2 diabetes.

To explore the association further, they studied 26,930 patients, ages 45 to 74, who were enrolled in the Malmo Diet and Cancer cohort. Dietary information was collected via a modified diet history method.

Over 14 years of follow-up, there were a total of 2,860 incident cases of type 2 diabetes.

When looking at specific types of dairy products, they found that drinking more cream (30 mL or more per day) was associated with a 15% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with only sipping 0.3 mL per day or less.

Eating a lot of low-fat dairy products, on the other hand, was initially associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, but that association disappeared after further adjustment for protein intake, the researchers said.

Similarly, high intake of low-fat meat was associated with a significant 24% increase in risk of developing type 2 diabetes, they reported, although eating lots of fatty meat also conferred an increased risk of disease, albeit a smaller one at 9%.

"The decreased risk at high intakes of high-fat dairy products, but not of low-fat dairy products, indicate that dairy fat, at least partly, explains observed protective associations between dairy intake and type 2 diabetes," Ericson said in the statement.

When asked to comment on the study, Karl Nadolsky, DO, an endocrinology fellow at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., expressed caution about the observational nature of the study, but he also said the findings fit into the growing body of evidence that dairy may hold protective benefits in diabetes. And it potentially supports the idea that whole foods may be more important than individual nutrients alone, he said.

Nadolsky cited several studies in his response to MedPage Today.

"While these observational cohort studies must be taken with a grain of salt due to basing conclusions on associations with dietary patterns at one time point, recent meta-analyses in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [2013;98:1066-1083], PLoS One [2013;8:e73965], and the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition [2011;65:1027-1031] have consistently shown correlation of dairy consumption with lower risk of developing diabetes and improved insulin sensitivity [Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis online, Aug. 7, 2014] though more so with low-fat dairy," Nadolsky said.

He also pointed out that meta-analyses that show associations between dairy consumption and decreased hypertension, as well as cardiovascular disease have also been published in recent years (Hypertension 2012;60:1131-1137, Am J Clin Nutr 2011;93:158-171).

"That said, since intervention trials have shown improved metabolic parameters (lipids) and cardiovascular outcomes, including lipids, when replacing refined saturated fatty acids, like butter, with fat sources like nuts or Mediterranean fats, this just supports what most of us know," Nadolsky said, namely that a whole-food diet, including some dairy, is likely to be the best option.

The study was supported by the Swedish Research Council, Novo Nordisk Foundation, and the Swedish Diabetes Foundation.

The authors disclosed no relevant financial relationships with industry.

Nadolsky is the founder of Leaner Living, a preventive medicine lifestyle company.

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